System and method for heating and cooling system maintenance

ABSTRACT

An HVAC system is provided. Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to HVAC systems in communication with a test engine configured to schedule maintenance and service calls. In one embodiment the test engine utilizes the ambient temperature and temperature setpoint to establish a maintenance schedule.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/575,670, entitled “System and Method for Heating and Cooling SystemMaintenance,” filed on Sep. 19, 2019.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofthe art that may be related to various aspects of the presentlydescribed embodiments—to help facilitate a better understanding ofvarious aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should beunderstood that these statements are to be read in this light, and notas admissions of prior art.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are generallyused to adjust the temperature and/or humidity of the air within astructure. HVAC service technicians typically first learn of problemswith a client's HVAC system when the client contacts the servicetechnician to describe the problem. As the use of the heating and/orcooling features of an HVAC system are generally seasonal, many clientsin a particular geographical area may first use the heating and/orcooling feature of their HVAC systems on approximately the same day.This can lead to a large number of service requests being received inresponse the first heat wave and/or cold snap of the season. The numberof service requests may significantly spike during extreme temperatureevents as well.

The HVAC industry is generally understaffed with licensed HVAC servicetechnicians. As a result, during periods of higher than usual demand,clients may be forced to wait for excessive periods of time for aservice technician while their HVAC system is generally not operational.

To address this shortcoming, HVAC service technicians and manufacturershave explored the use of monitoring techniques using smart thermostatsand sensors to detect system problems before a client reports them. Inresidential HVAC systems, this is often limited to simple alerts suchas, for example, the ambient temperature reaching an upper or lowerthreshold, or the HVAC system requiring an extended amount of time tobring the ambient temperature (sometimes colloquially called “roomtemperature”) to a new temperature setpoint. Service providers have usedpassive remote monitoring to help HVAC servicers identify systemsexhibiting signs of failure.

Several problems exist with this passive monitoring approach. First,prior to the first heat wave/cold snap, HVAC systems are often inactive.In some cases, the HVAC systems are turned off. In other cases, mildoutdoor air temperatures may result in mild ambient temperatures and mayobviate the need for cooling or heating. As a result, no alerts will begenerated. Second, even if the system is operating, the workloads usedto test the system are set by the homeowner or tenant. This workloadvariability limits the ability to make remote inferences regardingsystem condition.

SUMMARY

Certain aspects of some embodiments disclosed herein are set forthbelow. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merelyto provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms theinvention might take and that these aspects are not intended to limitthe scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass avariety of aspects that may not be set forth below

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a heating,ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) systems adapted to communicatewith a wireless thermostat such as, for example, a Wi-Fi or cellularenabled thermostat. In some embodiments, the HVAC system may communicatediagnostic information to a wireless thermostat. In some embodiments,the wireless thermostat may be configured to receive instructions from aservice provider and communicate those instructions to the HVAC system.In some embodiments, the present invention uses the two-way capabilitiesof wireless or smart thermostats to initiate and/or run a standardizedset of experiments remotely without waiting for a heat wave or for thehomeowner/tenant to adjust their setpoints.

Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation tovarious aspects of the present embodiments. Further features may also beincorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements andadditional features may exist individually or in any combination. Forinstance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more ofthe illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of theabove-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in anycombination. Again, the brief summary presented above is intended onlyto familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of someembodiments without limitation to the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an overview of the disclosed system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates an expected system response and a problematic systemresponse in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates system responses elicited from the same system overtime in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a set of potential service call recommendations basedon collected asset data in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a potential application of the disclosed systemincorporating multiple HVAC systems in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed. It should be appreciated that in the development of any suchactual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a developmenteffort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments, the articles “a,”“an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or moreof the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” areintended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elementsother than the listed elements.

Modern HVAC systems may be connected to wireless and/or smartthermostats that allow a resident to control a setpoint of the HVACsystem remotely or to pre-program an ambient temperature setpoint. Thesmart thermostat is typically able to send instructions to the HVAC unitdirecting the HVAC unit to turn on (e.g., activate a cooling relay) orturn off based on ambient temperature, the desired setpoint, and/or thechange in ambient temperature as the HVAC unit runs for a given periodof time. In some embodiments, the smart thermostat may determine theexpected response to the ambient temperature and modulate the amount ofrun-time of an HVAC system in order to achieve the desired ambienttemperature without overshooting the setpoint.

In some embodiments, a smart thermostat may be able to transmitinformation related to the performance of an HVAC system to a remotelylocated HVAC service provider or technician using a local network. Thetransmitted information may be recorded and/or analyzed in order todetermine the overall health of the HVAC system. If a problem isdetected, a repair or replacement may be recommended based on theinformation transmitted by the smart thermostat.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a remotely locatedservice provider is able to transmit test protocol instructions to asmart thermostat. The smart thermostat is then able to instruct the HVACsystem to take certain actions which may be used to determineoperational characteristics and/or diagnose issues with the HVAC systemthat may be undetectable by the resident. These test protocols may berun by the smart thermostat and HVAC system without any input from theoccupant of a particular building. Additionally, in some embodiments, atest protocol may be run while the occupant is away, thereby avoidingany disruption to the occupant.

In some embodiments, an HVAC system and/or smart thermostat comprises anoccupancy sensor configured to determine whether an occupant is in aclimate-controlled structure. If the occupancy sensor data shows that astructure is vacant, the disclosed system may begin a diagnosticprotocol. In some embodiments, a smart thermostat may develop astatistical model of an occupant's behavior patterns and be able toanticipate when the occupant is likely to be away from the building fora longer period of time such as, for example, when an occupant goes towork. This may prevent the disclosed system from initiating a testprotocol when the occupant has left the building for a short period oftime such as, for example, to run a quick errand.

In some embodiments, the disclosed system communicates with theoccupancy sensor to determine when the structure is vacant and thensends an instruction message directing the thermostat to adjust thesetpoint. Once the set point is adjusted, the HVAC system and itscomponents may be powered on and monitored in order to determine thehealth of the HVAC system and its components as the HVAC system adjuststhe ambient temperature to reach the new setpoint.

In some embodiments, the system may monitor the amount of time it takesthe HVAC system to heat and/or cool the structure to change the ambienttemperature to satisfy the remotely set setpoint. Some embodiments mayalso determine the rate of temperature change on a degree and/or timebasis.

The disclosed systems may be used to determine the health of a singleHVAC system over time such as, for example, the HVAC system in asingle-family home. By periodically querying the health of the same HVACsystem, any decrease in performance may be identified even if theoccupant would not have noticed the performance loss. For example, if anHVAC unit requires a greater amount of run time to adjust the ambienttemperature by a predetermined amount than the unit previously required,a loss of performance may be indicated. In this example, the occupantmay never notice the loss of performance as the ambient temperaturewould still reach the setpoint, only not as quickly.

The disclosed systems may also be applied to multiple HVAC systems inorder to group, categorize, and/or prioritize service calls and monitorthe health of multiple HVAC units over time. In one non-limitingexample, all of the HVAC units at a large apartment complex may beperiodically queried in order to monitor the health of the units overtime. In such an example, service technicians may prioritize units thatrequire service to function over units that are suffering from a loss ofperformance but are still able to maintain a setpoint temperature.Additionally, a service technician may be able to travel to theapartment location to service multiple units that require attentionprior to a heat wave or cold front impacting a given area. In anotherexample, if an HVAC unit requires immediate repair, a service technicianmay take note of units that are suffering from a loss of performance andservice those units in addition to servicing the unit that requiresimmediate attention as part of the same on-site visit.

In some embodiments, statistical cohort groups may be created tobenchmark the performance of similar HVAC systems. HVAC systems may beconsidered similar based on, for example, brand, tonnage, SEER rating,or the like. In some embodiments, statistical cohort groups mayadditionally include location, weather and/or the size of the spacebeing cooled.

By employing certain analytical methods, outliers from the average of agiven cohort may be identified. In some embodiments, the performance ofa particular unit may be compared with the performance of that same unitat a prior date. In some embodiments, an analysis may include massscreenings of units to prioritize the HVAC units most in need ofattention before heating and cooling season. A service provider may thenbe able to dispatch a service technician to service the prioritizedunits to identify and address any issues causing poor performance beforea large influx of service calls are expected.

Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of thedisclosed system. In some exemplary embodiments, system 100 comprises atest engine 20 that is configured to communicate with a client-sidedevice 50, such a smart thermostat and/or HVAC system. Test engine 20may send the client-side device 50 a test protocol in order to determinethe health of a connected HVAC system. A test library 10 may containmultiple test protocols that may be used under different conditions andtransmit the test protocols to the test engine 20. Once the test engine20 instructs a client-side device 50 to run a test protocol, the testengine 20 may receive the test results.

System 100 may also comprise a client asset database 30 configured tocontain information related to the client-side device and/or componentsof a connected HVAC system such as, for example, the brand, model, seerrating, of the client-side device and/or HVAC system. System 100 mayalso comprise a test result data base 35 configured to store the testresults of a given test protocol. Test result database 35 may be used tostore test results related to the same HVAC system over time to providegreater context for a given set of test results.

In an exemplary embodiment, the test results may be analyzed inconjunction with the client asset information by an analytic/decisionsupport system (“ADSS”) 40. The ADSS 40 may be configured to analyze thetest protocol, test results, client asset information, and otherinformation such as the weather patterns around the HVAC system,previous test data, previous services performed on the HVAC system, andthe like in order to determine the health of the HVAC system.

In some embodiments, test library 10 contains the details of multiplepotential diagnostic protocols that may be run using a given HVACsystem. In some embodiments, one or more of the test protocols leveragethe existing capabilities of a smart thermostat such as, for example,the ability to remotely command an HVAC system to run. In this generaltest, if an HVAC system cannot be remotely accessed, the HVAC system maybe identified as a non-functioning system and scheduled for service.

In another non-limiting example test protocol, the test engine 20 mayinstruct the client-side smart thermostat to adjust the setpoint acertain amount above or below the ambient temperature. The client-sidedevice 50 may report the time required for the ambient temperature toreach the new setpoint. If the ambient temperature fails to reach thesetpoint within a pre-determined amount of time, a system issue may beidentified, and the system may be scheduled for service. In someembodiments, the test engine 20 may select additional test protocolsform the test library 10 in order to further diagnose the identifiedsystem issue and provide the service technician with additionalinformation prior to scheduling a service call. In some embodiments, theoutdoor temperature, size of the climate-controlled space, age of theHVAC system and/or age of the structure may be taken into account whendetermining the test setpoint and/or pre-determined amount of timeallowed to reach the test setpoint.

In another non-limiting example, the setpoint and ambient temperaturemay be periodically and passively monitored. If the ambient temperaturedeviates from the setpoint by more than a pre-determined amount, thetest engine 20 may implement an active test protocol selected from thetest library 10 in order to diagnose the potential system issue.

It will be appreciated that the test protocols contained in test library10 may include, in addition to ambient temperature, setpoint, andrun-time, a variety of component instructions and sensor data fromsensors embedded in the HVAC system. Such sensors may include, forexample, voltage sensors, RPM sensors, pressure sensors, temperaturesensors, relay sensors, and/or PLC controllers. The client-side device50 may be configured to transmit some or all of the sensor data to thetest engine 20 and/or test result database. In some embodiments,retrofit and/or additional sensor kits may be installed on existing HVACsystems to enable more sophisticated remote diagnostic testing.

In some embodiments, the client-side device 50 may incorporate a sensorkit retrofitted to an HVAC system. It will be appreciated that many homeautomation devices, protocols and topologies may be leveraged with thedisclosed systems including, without limitation, those based on X-10,Universal Powerline Bus (UPB), Insteon, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Wi-Fi,If-This-Then-That (IFTTT), Bluetooth, and/or Thread.

In some embodiments, test engine 20 is configured to retrieve theprotocol details from the test library 10 and details of the HVAC systemto be tested from the client asset database 30. The test engine 20 mayadminister a remote testing protocol and receive the resulting test datafrom the client-side device 50. The test data may be stored in the testresult database 35. In some embodiments, test engine 20 communicateswith the client-side device 50 using a TCP/IP protocol. In someembodiments, multiple client-side devices 50 within a given building orfacility are interrogated serially by test engine 20.

In some embodiments, client-side device 50 receives test protocolinstructions from the test engine 20. Client-side device 50 may comprisea smart thermostat such as, for example, those manufactured by Nest,EcoBee, Resideo or the like. In some embodiments, the client-side device50 may further comprise a communications hub connected to the Internetvia Wi-fi or a cellular modem although in some embodiments, a smartthermostat or other client-side device 50 may be connected to theinternet without the use of a hub. In some embodiments, client-sidedevice 50 is embedded or otherwise incorporated into an HVAC systemitself. In such embodiments, there may be no need for a smart thermostatas the HVAC system may be in data communication with the test engine 20.

Upon execution of a test protocol, data and/or results may be collectedby the test engine 20 and/or test result database 35. In someembodiments, the results are transmitted by the client-side device 50,to the test engine 20 as raw time series. In one example, set point testresults may be recorded as a time series of the ambient temperatureand/or system run-time. In some embodiments, the client-side device 50may interpret the time series data prior to transmitting any data andthen relay only metadata to the test engine 20. In one example, anambient temperature time series data may be classified as “pass” or“fail.” In such embodiments, only the results of the test and/or otherdiagnostically useful information may be transmitted by the client-sidedevice or to a service operator without transmitting informationdirectly related to a particular HVAC system, structure, or theoccupants of a structure.

In some embodiments, the client asset database 30, contains detailsrelated to the HVAC systems to be tested such as, for example, theclient name, client address, HVAC system ID, HVAC system brand name,model number, serial number and/or date of manufacture. In someembodiments, the client asset database contains client-side devices 50details such as, for example, the type or smart thermostat, embeddedsensors, retrofit sensors, manufacturer, device names and/or IPaddresses. In some embodiments, derived attributes may also be computedand/or stored in the client asset database 30 for later reference. Forexample, a Motili Asset Condition Index (MACI) which rates HVAC systemhealth on a scale of 0-100 may be stored. In some embodiments, the MACIindex may be stored overtime while other information is deleted ordestroyed to better protect personal information and/or the privacy ofan occupant, homeowner, user, and/or customer.

In some embodiments, the test results may be stored in a test resultsdatabase 35. The test results may comprise the test ID of anadministered protocol, HVAC system ID, raw time series data, experimentresults metadata, compressor data, pressure data, refrigerant data,and/or other test result data. In some embodiments, the HVAC system IDmay be used to anonymize the occupant, location of the HVAC systemtested, and/or other information that could potentially be used toidentify an occupant, homeowner, user, and/or customer. In someembodiments, the client asset database 30 and test result database 35may be entirely independent systems. In some embodiments, the clientasset database 30 and test result database 35 may be housed in the samelocation, contained on a single server, be in data communication, beseparately encrypted, or any combination of the above.

In some embodiments, the ADSS 40, analyzes and classifies the testresult data and/or client asset data to generate recommended actionsthat may be implemented by the service platform 60. In some embodiments,a MACI or other index score may be combined with test results data todetermine if a unit should be maintained, repaired, or replaced. Forexample, if a recent test showed a high MACI score, but the HVAC unithas an identified service issue, the HVAC system may need to be repairedrather than replaced as the unit was recently functioning at a highdegree of performance. If the unit has shown steadily decreasing MACIscores over an extended period of time, the HVAC unit may be approachingthe end of its lifecycle and the ADSS may be more likely to recommendreplacement of the system. If a system shows an acceptable MACI scorebut the score is not as high as it was previously, the ADSS mayrecommend the unit be maintained rather than repaired or replaced as theunit is still functioning but could be performing better.

In some embodiments, current or recent experimental results may becompared to a previous test result to as part of the determination ofwhether to repair or replace a unit. In some embodiments, anyclassifications and/or determinations made by the ADSS 40, may berecorded in the client asset database 30 and/or test result database 35.In some embodiments, the test engine 20 may administer testingsubsequent to a service call to determine if the ADSS properlyidentified a system issue and made an effective service recommendation.It will be appreciated that many data science and/or machine learningtechniques may be used to train and/or refine the classification oranalysis performed by the ADSS 40. In some embodiments, once a systemissue has been identified, test engine 20 may transmit operatinginstructions such as, for example, a software update to the HVAC systemand/or client-side device 50.

In some embodiments, the service platform 60, is configured to implementthe recommendations from the ADSS 40. The service platform 60 may beconfigured to provide notifications of issues detected and recommendedservice responses via various channels such as SMS, e-mail, in-appalerts, and/or system-to-system API calls. In some embodiments, theservice platform 60 may provide notifications directly to the occupant.In some embodiments, the service platform provides notifications to amanager, operator, and/or service technician.

In some embodiments, the service platform 60 prioritizes servicerequests so that the most urgent repairs are performed first. In someembodiments, client-level or geographic standard pricing information maybe contained in the service platform 60. In such embodiments, quotesand/or service costs may be provided for client approval along withservice alerts. In some embodiments, once a client approves a quote, theapproved quote may be converted to a work order and automaticallydispatched to a service technician. In some embodiments, modificationsto the work order made by the service technician may be recorded andused to further train the ADSS. In this manner, misclassifications ofservice needs made by the ADSS 40 may be noted and reduced over time.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example test protocol and system response. In theexemplary expected system response, the ambient room temperature isinitially higher than the user requested setpoint. To bring the ambienttemperature to the setpoint, the cooling relay of the HVAC system isactivated for a short period of time before being shut off. The ambienttemperature begins to drop once the cooling relay is activated andcontinues to drop even after the cooling relay is turned off. Thisindicates a degree of lag time between the cooling relay providingcooled air to the room and the cooled air mixing with the ambient air inorder to reduce the ambient room temperature measured at the thermostator thermocouple used to monitor the ambient temperature. After thecooling relay is turned off, the ambient temperature continues to dropuntil it substantially reaches the user requested setpoint.

In the illustrated problem response, the ambient temperature is abovethe user requested setpoint. When the cooling relay is activated, theambient temperature only responds a small amount. Accordingly, thecooling relay is left on for an extended period of time, but the ambienttemperature does not drop sufficiently to meet the user desiredsetpoint. This indicates a system issue that is preventing the HVACsystem from cooling the ambient temperature to the user requestedsetpoint. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, rather thanutilizing a user requested setpoint, the test engine could instruct theclient-side device to request a setpoint without user involvement.

In some embodiments, a problematic response may be less dramatic thanthe problem response illustrated in FIG. 2 . For example, in a potentialproblematic response, the ambient temperature may ultimately be loweredby the HVAC system and reach the requested setpoint, but the coolingrelay may need to be activated for a longer period of time than isdesirable. This may be an undetectable issue by for the occupant butcould be diagnosed by embodiments of the disclosed system.

FIG. 3 illustrates a comparison of test results based previousperformance data or a digital twin. As shown, the test results for lastyear's response show an ambient temperature above the requestedsetpoint. The cooling relay is activated for a period of time and theambient temperature is brought down to substantially meet the setpointtemperature. In this year's response, the ambient temperature startsabove the requested setpoint, but the ambient temperature is not broughtdown to meet the requested setpoint despite the cooling relay beingactivated for an extended period of time. Accordingly, a significantloss of performance related to the same unit can be identified overtime.

In some embodiments, a test protocol may be remotely administered toestablish a baseline after a system issue has been identified. Once theservice technician has performed the recommended service to the HVACunit, the same test protocol may be administered again in order todetermine the efficacy of the maintenance or repair performed by theservice technician.

FIG. 4 illustrates potential service recommendations based on a MACIindex score. As indicated in FIG. 4 , a MACI index score may indicatethat a unit should be replaced immediately, replaced soon, that the unitis ok and may only need preventative maintenance, or that a unit issubstantially new. In some embodiments, this information may be providedfor multiple HVAC units to a manager or service technician to allow astreamlined review of the status of multiple HVAC units on a commercialproperty or throughout an enterprise.

FIG. 5 shows an example report showing the status of multiple HVAC unitsin an apartment complex. In some embodiments, multiple HVAC units may betested in series and the results of the test may be compiled into areport allowing for streamlined visualization and/or understanding ofthe state of multiple HVAC units at a glance. In some embodiments,problematic HVAC units may be identified based on the averageperformance of the other HVAC units in the given statistical group. Insome embodiments, problematic HVAC units may be identified based on anabsolute performance measurement without regard to the performanceaverage of the other associated HVAC units.

While the aspects of the present disclosure may be susceptible tovarious modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments havebeen shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described indetail herein. But it should be understood that the invention is notintended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, theinvention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by thefollowing appended claims.

1. A system for monitoring and testing a heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning (HVAC) system operable to condition air an inside of astructure, the system comprising: a test engine remote from andconnectable with the HVAC system, wherein the test engine is configuredto: provide test protocol instructions usable to implement a testprotocol by the HVAC system that involves operation of the HVAC systemdifferently from user controlled operation; and receive test resultsfrom implementation of the test protocol by the HVAC system, wherein thesystem is configured to determine an operational characteristic of ordiagnose an issue with the HVAC system based on the test results.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the test engine is configured to provide thetest protocol instructions based on at least one criterion other thanambient temperature inside the structure or user control of the HVACsystem.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the criterion includes atleast one of a length of time since a previous test protocol wasimplemented, time of year, geographical area of the structure, time ofday, or control by a service provider remotely located from thestructure.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the test protocolinstructions include an option to not implement the test protocol if theuser is present within the structure.
 5. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a test library in data communication with the test engine andcomprising multiple test protocols that may be used by the test engineto provide to the HVAC system.
 6. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a client asset database in data communication with the testengine and configured to store information related to the HVAC system.7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a decision support systemin data communication with the test engine and configured to at leastone of determine the operational characteristic of the HVAC system,diagnose the issue with the HVAC system, or determine a servicerecommendation for the HVAC system based on the test results, whereinthe decision support system is trainable using machine learning.
 8. Thesystem of claim 7, further comprising a service platform in datacommunication with the decision support system and configured to receivea service recommendation from the decision support system and schedule aservicing of the HVAC system.
 9. A method of monitoring and testing aheating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system operable tocondition air an inside of a structure, the method comprising:providing, using a test engine remote from the HVAC system, testprotocol instructions to the HVAC system usable by the HVAC system toimplement a test protocol that involves operation of the HVAC systemdifferently from user controlled operation; receiving test results bythe test engine from implementation of the test protocol by the HVACsystem; and determining at least one operational characteristic of ordiagnose an issue with the HVAC system based on the test results. 10.The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the test protocolinstructions based on at least one criterion other than ambienttemperature inside the structure or user control of the HVAC system. 11.The method of claim 10, wherein the criterion includes at least one of alength of time since a previous test protocol was implemented, time ofyear, geographical area of the structure, time of day, or control by aservice provider remotely located from the structure.
 12. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising selecting, using the test engine, the testprotocol instructions from multiple test protocols stored in a testlibrary in data communication with the test engine.
 13. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising storing information related to the HVACsystem in a client asset database in data communication with the testengine.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining at least oneoperational characteristic of or diagnose an issue with the HVAC systembased on the test results comprises analyzing the test results using adecision support system in data communication with the test engine,wherein the decision support system is trained using machine learning.15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing, using thedecision support system, a service recommendation based on the analysisof the test results; receiving the service recommendation by a serviceplatform; and scheduling, using the service platform, a servicing of theHVAC system.
 16. A system for monitoring and testing a heating,ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system operable to conditionair an inside of a structure, the system comprising: a test engineremote from and connectable with the HVAC system, wherein the testengine is configured to: provide test protocol instructions usable toimplement a test protocol by the HVAC system that involves operation ofthe HVAC system differently from user controlled operation; and receivetest results from implementation of the test protocol by the HVACsystem; and a decision support system in data communication with thetest engine and configured to determine an operational characteristic ofor diagnose an issue with the HVAC system based on the test results,wherein the decision support system is trained using machine learning.17. The system of claim 16, wherein the test engine is configured toprovide the test protocol instructions based on at least one criterionother than ambient temperature inside the structure or user control ofthe HVAC system.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the criterionincludes at least one of a length of time since a previous test protocolwas implemented, time of year, geographical area of the structure, timeof day, or control by a service provider remotely located from thestructure.
 19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a test libraryin data communication with the test engine and comprising multiple testprotocols that may be used by the test engine to provide to the HVACsystem.
 20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a client assetdatabase in data communication with the test engine and configured tostore information related to the HVAC system.